1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auxiliary artificial heart of the embedded-in-body type embedded in the left or right ventricle of the heart of a human body.
More particularly, it relates to an auxiliary artificial heart intended to feed blood by a pump in addition to blood fed by the human heart, without damaging the function of the human heart.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional artificial hearts of the embedded-in-body type include those of the diaphragm, sack, centrifugal, pusher plate and other systems.
However, these artificial hearts are intended to feed blood, using the human heart as a bypass or instead of the human heart. They are therefore large in size and not suitable for embodiment in the human body. When the artificial heart is large in size, the patient who has the artificial heart embedded in his or her heart must bear a large burden. In addition, that area of the artificial heart which is contacted with blood becomes large, thereby causing a thrombus.
Further, it is required that the artificial heart is durable and reliable. Conventional artificial hearts are complicated in structure and they have a limitation in enhancing their durability and reliability.
In addition to these artificial hearts intended to feed blood, using the human heart as a bypass or instead of the human heart, there is another artificial heart of such a type as disclosed in an essay "In Vivo Evaluation Of A Peripheral Vascular Access Axial Flow Blood Pump" reported by Richard K. Wampler et al on pages 450-454 of "TRANS AM SOC ARTIF INTERN ORGANS" Vol. XXXIV (1988).
This artificial heart has a small-sized pump inserted into the artery and a tube is attached to a sucking opening of the pump. The tube is inserted into the ventricle of the human heart, passing through the artery valve. Blood in the ventricle is sucked through the tube and fed into the artery. This artificial heart does not substantially damage the function of the human heart and it can feed blood in addition to blood fed by the human heart.
The pump must be small in size to insert it into the artery. To meet this requirement, the pump in the above-mentioned artificial heart excludes a driving motor from it. The driving motor is arranged external of the human body, and the driving force is supplied from the motor through a wire to it. Due to such an arrangement, not only the movement of the patient is restricted while the artificial heart is operating, but also the patient cannot carry the artificial heart for a long time.